Unbreakable Bond of Brotherhood
by Chaotic Heart
Summary: William Herondale lost his family when he was ten. Ever since he never settled anywhere, never trusted anyone- before head of the orphanage, Charlotte Brandwell, introduced him to James Carstairs. Jem became his steady flame, guiding light of his life... But Jem's heart loved stronger than it beat. Now Will would have to find way to save Jem, no matter what it cost for him.
1. Chapter 1

"Will! Will!" Charlotte called, searching for the stubborn little boy from everywhere. "Will! Come here now, the new boy is coming here any minute now."

"I don't care." Bored voice said.

Charlotte spun around and looked at black haired little boy with lovely sky blue eyes.

Will was only child in orphanage who simply couldn't settle in any new family.

Charlotte, small, brown haired and kind woman, was lately been talking with her husband Henry who lead the orphanage with her- about keeping Will there with them.

"Will, you know that if you wish to remain here you will have to obey the rules."

Will rolled his eyes with dramatic sigh, "Fine. It's that dying kid, isn't it?"

Charlotte pressed her lips into thin line, praying for patience. "Will. Don't speak like that. Think how you would feel if you were so ill."

Will shrugged, "I wouldn't care."

Charlotte shook her head.

That was when the doorbell rang.

"Come now." She said to Will. "And behave yourself."

She opened the door, and small boy- around same age as Will, stepped in, looking curiously around.

His dark hair and angular eyes gave away that his mother was Chinese, but when he spoke- he spoke perfect English.

"Hey." He said and smiled looking at Charlotte. "Are you Mrs. Brandwell?"

Charlotte smiled back. "Yes. And this is Will. William Herondale."

Will shot bored look to the boy but he just smiled.

"Hey Will. I'm James Carstairs. You can call me Jem."

Door behind Jem opened again and nurse brought Jem's bags in, giving Charlotte pile of papers and bags with Jem's medicines.

While nurse and Charlotte spoke with low whispers to each other, Jem turned to look at Will again.

"What?" Will asked, annoyed.

Jem raised eyebrows at him, saying something Will couldn't understand at all.

He blinked at Jem, "What?"

Jem smiled. "You asked "what?" even I had not said anything. So I said something that your question wasn't useless."

Will was speechless. He didn't like that someone was more clever than he was, but it was hard to hide his smile as well. Jem seemed like fun person. Then he frowned, remembering Charlotte's words.

"You're dying, aren't you?" He asked, not caring that he sounded rude.

Jem only looked at him calmly. "If you mean that my illness may possibly kill me before I grow strong enough to have surgery to get better, yes. I am dying. But I have medicines that keep me quite alright and there is hope I will survive until I can have surgery, then if I don't die in surgery, I have long life ahead."

Will stared at Jem. Jem didn't seem least bit hurt or even offended of his rudeness.

"Uhm.. Well... I'm sorry." He muttered.

Jem smiled. "Don't say you're sorry. Say you'll show me around and play with me."

Will nodded, without even noticing that he did. "I will."

**7 years later...**

"... they are like night and day, but they simply are so tied together that they refuse to go separate homes. We have marked them as brothers. Jem included Will's name to his own, so they are legally adopted brothers..."

Charlotte was saying to someone.

Jem and Will looked at each other.

"She's sending us away again." Jem said, knowing already what his friend would say.

"Why to bother?" Will complained, and then there it came- what Jem expected: "We're not gonna stay there either."

Jem shrugged, "Maybe we should try."

Charlotte stepped aside from doorway to let in two old looking woman.

"Oooor, maybe not." Jem chuckled as they looked at two old ladies.

"Maybe?" Will asked as sarcastically as possible. "They look like they got up from coffins and- Shit! Come on, they saw us!" He said and gripped Jem's arm and so two young men run to upstairs as fast as they could.

They went to Jem's room, which was right next to Will's, and leaned their backs against the door, both laughing. Then Jem broke off with violent coughing and he almost fell to his knees to the floor- if Will wouldn't have wrap his arm around Jem's shoulders and keep him to his feet.

"James.." His tone was worried. Jem had been weaker past few weeks, getting out of breath from slightest things.

Will helped Jem to sit down to his bed and sat down next to his friend.

"Jem?"

Jem shook his head and took deep ragged breaths. Will could hear how Jem had to struggle to get air in his lungs and he wished- not for first time, that he could change places with Jem.

"Jem! Will!" Charlotte's voice called from hallway.

Jem looked at Will with pleading eyes and Will nodded. "I'll handle it. You take your medicine and rest. I'll be right back."

Jem smiled faintly as Will went to the door and got out of the room.

"Charlotte, what's up?"

"Two ladies are downstairs waiting to meet you and Jem. Where is he?"

Will shrugged, "Good question, I was just wondering the same. He wasn't in his room but his window was open, maybe he learned to fly and left somewhere."

Charlotte sighed. "Will, I heard you two running upstairs."

Will narrowed his eyes, fierce protectiveness kicking in. "Those old hags can just try and get us with them, we're not going."

Charlotte, even knowing everything she knew, that Will meant truly nothing bad for anyone, he just had bad tongue, but still- he had grown to be tall and muscular, and when he thought he needed to stand up to protect Jem, he was terrifying.

Charlotte had seen few times how Will had beat down even bigger guys than himself. Only because those guys insulted Jem.

"Will, they are very kind-"

"We're. Not. Going."

Charlotte sighed again and left back downstairs. Will watched her go and went then back to Jem's room.

When he opened the door, he froze to his place.

"James..."

It wasn't first time he had found his friend changing a shirt because he had spitted blood all over the other one.

Will closed the door firmly behind himself and picked from floor a shirt Jem had kept. It had blood stains on it. More blood than last time. He looked at Jem, who had vividly lost weight- again.

Jem took the shirt from Will's hands. "I'm alright."

"Jem you keep coughing up blood. More and more every time and-!"

"William." Jem said tiredly and Will fell silent. His friend's tone made him more worried.

"Did you take your medicines?" Will asked quietly.

Jem nodded. "They're running out.."

Will's eyes got wide. "Again?"

"I can't go on much longer Will. I'm tired... So tired." Jem said heavily, laying down to his bed.

"I will go to tell Charlotte to go get more. Or give the list for me. I go get all you need." Will said.

Jem shook his head, his eyes were fluttering closed.

Will gripped of his friend's hand. "Jem!"

"I'm not dying now William." Jem said, sounding almost amused. "I'm just tired."

"Jem... Let me go get more of the medicines for you. Please!"

Will rarely- if ever, pleaded with anyone. But Jem, his Jem, he would do anything for.

Jem must have reacted to urgency in his voice, since he sat up from his bed and reached to take something from his bedside table.

Will watched as Jem took out couple piece of papers, signed one of them and handed the papers to Will, with some money.

"I will be right back. Rest well meantime." Will said and run out of the room, down the stairs and out of the front door before Charlotte or anyone could stop him to ask where he was going.

He didn't want to waste any time. Jem's life depended on his medicines- and if they'd run out, Jem would die in matter of hours, even minutes.


	2. Meeting Tessa Gray

Will hated that over-clean scent of hospitals and medicine stores. It always reminded him of Jem's hospital visits. When they were younger, Charlotte had taken Jem to his doctor checkings, but as years went by, Will had taken over quite perfectly of all Jem's caring.

Jem was everything he had. Jem was his conscious, his comfort, his reason... Everything.

Few times in past couple years Jem had got so weak, Will had called ambulance middle of the night and had practically torn Charlotte away from Jem to go with Jem by himself instead.

Lung-cancer. That's what doctors had finally found from Jem's lungs for causing his blood-coughing and trouble of breathing.

"And what you need young man?" Older woman asked and Will handed her papers Jem gave him.

Woman eyed the papers and shook her head, "Mrs. Brandwell usually get this boy's medicines from-"

"Well Charlotte is currently busy, deal with it and give me the god damn medicines- or if my brother dies because of you, I build his coffin of your fat bones." Will snapped.

Woman was very still, looking Will with shocked expression.

Will closed his eyes, thinking how Jem always said: _"Take deep breath and count to ten. You'll find it's easier to hold back your temper."_

"I'm sorry." Will muttered, fixing his blue eyes to older woman's face, trusting that his adorable puppy-look worked on this woman as it worked for every other.

Woman nodded slightly and went to get Jem's medicines. Will flashed a charming smile to her and paid the medicines before breaking to run and headed towards the orphanage.

"H-hey, excuse me..." Gentle female voice called after him.

Will rolled his eyes, his handsomeness was his blessing and his curse.

"What?!" He asked, slowing down and turned around but kept walking backwards- not willing to stop.

Brown haired, lovely young woman walked towards him and reached her delicate hand to give him something.

"You dropped this." She said, gray-blue eyes shining warmly.

Will took small package she held for him. "Thanks..." He muttered, checking his plastic bag had he dropped anything else. Jem needed all of these, if he was so careless... But everything was there.

"Thanks." Will said again and looked at the girl again.

She smiled. "You welcome."

"Look, no offence but I'm in hurry." Will said and turned around, running across the street and back to orphanage.

When he came back, he found Jem and Charlotte from kitchen having sandwiches. He run upstairs to drop Jem's medicines there and went to join them.

"Ah, Will, where have you been?" Charlotte asked.

Will, panting slightly from all running, sat down next to Jem. "Out."

"Without me?" Jem said with pretended hurt and Will grinned, patting Jem's shoulder.

"I met quite a lovely young woman. I might introduce you two later."

"Aah, that explains the color on your cheeks." Jem teased.

Will blinked. "I don't-"

Jem looked momentarily confused, then he smiled again. "You did meet a girl out there, didn't you?" He asked in low voice so Charlotte won't hear.

"Passing by- yeah." Will shrugged.

Jem laughed, "You're blushing Herondale."

Will slapped Jem's shoulder lightly, barely able to hide his grin "Shut up."

"Will, Jem." Charlotte said and two boys turned their attention to her. "As you know, the ladies who came here this morning were interested of meeting you, and-"

"Don't bother anymore Charlotte." Will said. "We're almost 18, we will leave soon and move to some flat on our own and we're out of your sight."

Charlotte sighed, "Will... You know quite well why I don't like the idea the two of you living alone."

Jem looked down to his hands which were resting on his lap.

Will looked at Jem and then Charlotte, blue eyes flashing like thunder. "We're not kids anymore Charlotte. I've managed to take care of Jem pretty damn fine. And he's not helpless himself."

"Yes, I'm aware of that." Charlotte said patiently.

Jem looked up at Charlotte again. "I think, it's not much use to sent us to any foster-family now anymore. We are almost 18, we don't need guardians then."

"But you do need money, and place to stay." Charlotte said. "Those ladies, are rather rich and they have no children of their own, no family. They don't have energy to raise little children, and they need someone to take over their fortune when they pass away. They saw picture of Will, and they wanted to adopt him. I told them that Will won't come alone, and they were agreeable to take Jem in too. They are aware of Jem's condition, and they even offered to pay all necessary operations for him..." Charlotte's gaze fixed on Will. "Jem could get into operation now and he could live normal life. Longer life."

Jem was speechless, but Charlotte knew that Jem won't go anywhere without Will. If Will refused to go, Jem would refuse as well without even trying to talk his friend over.

Will looked at Jem and then back to Charlotte. "That kind of charity comes with price. What they want from us?"

"They want family."

Jem and Will looked at each other.

"We can meet them, but we're not agreeing to anything yet." Will said and stood up. "Jem."

Jem nodded and stood up as well, leaving with Will to upstairs.

"I don't think they want us just to give their fortune for us." Will said as they closed door of Jem's room behind them.

"I find that quite weird as well." Jem said thoughtfully, sitting down to his bed.

Will went to look out of window. "I have a feeling they want something from us."

"Or rather from you." Jem said. "They didn't want me originally. They wanted you. By your looks. Makes me rather wonder why..."

Will shuddered. "That brings up most disturbing images to my mind..."

Jem smiled. "Your twisted imagination always have to add something disgusting to everything. What were you thinking? Serving two old women wearing nothing but underwear? Oh I'm sure they'd like it."

Will made gagging sound and Jem laughed.

"Hey,.. That's the girl who- I mean.. Who I saw today." Will said suddenly, pointing out of window.

Jem stood up and walked over to look out as well.

"The brown haired one?"

Will rolled his eyes. "How many others you see there?"

Jem pointed to some distance away from brown haired girl. There was blonde girl who looked around in disgust.

"There. Or am I imagining a terrible snob wandering near by our precious shelter? I must be more sick than I thought."

"Will! Jem!" Charlotte called from downstairs.

Will and Jem looked at each other and shrugged before going down.

"Will and Jem, this is Theresa Gray and this is Jessamine Lovelace." Charlotte introduced. "These are William Herondale and James Carstairs-Herondale."

Jem smiled friendly at new girls and Will narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Call me Tessa, everyone does." Brown haired girl said with kind smile.

"Ah, well then you must call Jem and this is Will." Jem said.

"Tessa and Jessamine are here temporarily. Their parents are dead and no relatives could take them in- so we offered to take them here until their situations are cleared." Charlotte said.

"Are you two sisters?" Jem asked.

Tessa chuckled and shood her head and Jessamine made disgusted sound. "Noo! Isn't it obvious we're nothing alike." Jessamine said.

Jem and Will looked at each other and shrugged.

"Could you show Tessa and Jessamine to their rooms?" Charlotte asked from boys.

"Dear me, always a tour guide duties..." Will said.

Jem patted his shoulder. "Take comfort from that you make quite hilarious guide indeed."

Will grinned, "That I do." He indicated Tessa and Jessamine to follow. "Come on Tessa and Ms. Dramaqueen."

Tessa laughed and Jessamine looked horrified. "What you called me?!" She said in nagging tone.

"I think he found out your inner most secret." Tessa said and went after Will and Jem to upstairs.

"I hate them! I hate this place" Jessamine muttered while following after them.


End file.
